I'm creating this thread with the purpose of us all sharing dhamma talks about jhana, be they sutta jhanas or hard jhanas. Please, I ask you: no discussions about what jhana itself is and no debates in general. It's just a place for people to put dhamma talks they found helpful here.

It would be useful if people summarised the dhamma talk.

Can this be made sticky, even if just temporarily? That is, if there is little or no interest, it would be made "unsticky" afterwards.

Metta

He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' (Jhana Sutta - Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

++++++++++++++++This being is bound to samsara, kamma is his means for going beyond. -- SN I, 38.

There is freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning. If there were not this freedom from birth, freedom from becoming, freedom from making, freedom from conditioning, then escape from that which is birth, becoming, making, conditioning, would not be known here. -- Ud 80

Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireas na daoine.People live in one another’s shelter.

This dhamma talk is by Ayya Khema. She describes the jhanas 1 to 8, how to get there (except that this part on the 4th is not possible to hear), what you do after each jhana and what insights you get from each jhana. In the end there's a bit of Q&A. It's a very good concise explanation of the subject, in my opinion.

He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' (Jhana Sutta - Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

He was in good form, and per Bhante Sujatha, his health is good for an 85 year old man. He had some health problems a few years ago, but is now traveling and teaching, this week in the Chicago area. I spoke with him briefly, and he's sharp, friendly, and maintained good vigor for the 3 hours he was talking and answering questions, and signing his newest book, which has its focus on the jhanas.

He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' (Jhana Sutta - Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

Ajhan Brahm's work was very encouraging. And then the above analysis seemed to do the opposite for me. But it's a good analysis!

However, I found this (with the help of Google Saffron - thank-you tiltbillings). And it seems consistent with kasina's and the interpretation of light nimitta

[4] "There are these ten totality-dimensions. Which ten? One perceives the earth-totality above, below, all-around: non-dual,[3] unlimited. One perceives the water-totality... the fire-totality... the wind-totality... the blue-totality... the yellow-totality... the red-totality... the white-totality... the space-totality... the consciousness-totality above, below, all-around: non-dual, unlimited. These are the ten totalities.

All of this does not mean that there is only one way to attain serenity using the breath. If someone has developed a technique that issues in jhana and which does not follow the explicit instructions that is fine too. Whatever works.

The strange thing about the second link is that it seems to be based on the assumption that the instructions in the Visuddhimagga are simply a copying and mis-copying of particular older texts.

I wish I had talks to contribute, but I just wanted to express appreciation for this thread (such a great idea!) and for this talk in particular. It was wonderful and JUST what I've been looking for!

I hope others will post more talks; I've been listening to all of them and very much enjoying them. I think this will make a wonderful resource for anyone interested in learning more about the jhanas, especially via talk format which I find is sometimes more inspiring than reading. That said, the written resources are also wonderful and much appreciated, too.

Modus.Ponens wrote:This dhamma talk is by Ayya Khema. She describes the jhanas 1 to 8, how to get there (except that this part on the 4th is not possible to hear), what you do after each jhana and what insights you get from each jhana. In the end there's a bit of Q&A. It's a very good concise explanation of the subject, in my opinion.

Oh my god... that was the best dhamma talk I ever heard. And now it's gone!

This is just a speculation of mine: I remember the talk seemed to be edited in some parts to conceal things that Ayya Khema might have said that were more delicate to talk about when you are a nun. Maybe that's why it was removed. But, again, it's just speculation.

Anyway, thank you. I will try to find that dhamma talk again. It is too good to be lost like that. Despite the emphasis on jhanas, Ayya Khema described the whole path, from access concentration to enlightenment, in that talk.

EDIT: to mantain my original intention for this thread to have little, to no debate/conversation, if I find the dhamma talk, I will edit this post and put the talk here.

Metta

He turns his mind away from those phenomena, and having done so, inclines his mind to the property of deathlessness: 'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' (Jhana Sutta - Thanissaro Bhikkhu translation)

Modus.Ponens wrote:Oh my god... that was the best dhamma talk I ever heard. And now it's gone!

This is just a speculation of mine: I remember the talk seemed to be edited in some parts to conceal things that Ayya Khema might have said that were more delicate to talk about when you are a nun. Maybe that's why it was removed. But, again, it's just speculation.

Anyway, thank you. I will try to find that dhamma talk again. It is too good to be lost like that. Despite the emphasis on jhanas, Ayya Khema described the whole path, from access concentration to enlightenment, in that talk.

EDIT: to mantain my original intention for this thread to have little, to no debate/conversation, if I find the dhamma talk, I will edit this post and put the talk here.

Metta

M.P., it must've been taken down recently, as I listened to it a few times when you first posted that link. It was a wonderful talk. I hope it resurfaces.

Modus.Ponens wrote:This dhamma talk is by Ayya Khema. She describes the jhanas 1 to 8, how to get there (except that this part on the 4th is not possible to hear), what you do after each jhana and what insights you get from each jhana. In the end there's a bit of Q&A. It's a very good concise explanation of the subject, in my opinion.

Hi,the Venerable Vimalaramsi commenting on Majjhima Nikaya 111 - Anupada Sutta:"... one of my favorite suttas, it tells you exactly what's happening when you experience each one of the Jhanas."You can listen to the audio and read along the transcript or watch the video.

"An important term for meditative absorption is samadhi. We often translate that as ‘concentration’, but that can suggest a certain stiffness. Perhaps ‘unification’ is a better rendition, as samadhi means ‘to bring together’. Deep samadhi isn't at all stiff. It’s a process of letting go of other things and coming to a unified experience."